All Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, & Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) contracts expire on December 31, 2018. Starting January 1, 2019, there will be a temporary gap in the DMEPOS CBP that CMS expects will last until December 31, 2020.

During the temporary gap, any Medicare enrolled DMEPOS supplier may furnish DMEPOS items and services to people with Medicare. In most cases, people with Medicare won’t need to switch suppliers on or after January 1, 2019.

In a new report on the opioid epidemic, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, MD, highlights the need for a cultural shift in the nation's perception of substance-abuse disorders (SUDs). He emphasizes that SUDs are chronic-but-treatable diseases.

On October 26, 2018, the New Hampshire Insurance Department issued the following press release:

As the open enrollment period approaches, the New Hampshire Insurance Department is advising consumers to be cautious when enrolling in an unfamiliar health plan. The Department strongly encourages all consumers to read the plan details and to ask questions about plan benefits and exclusions before enrolling.